Samy Ahmed

Major: Economics and Management for Art, Culture and Communication (Bocconi), Graduate Professional Studies Certificate in Diplomacy, Defense and Development (American)

Hometown: Milan, Italy, and Alexandria, Egypt

Languages: English, Italian, Arabic, and French

Why did you choose this program? It's hard to name another program that can offer students such a great and invaluable experience. In a world that is profoundly interconnected and desperately in need of powerful international managers, this program gives powerful analytical tools to sustain students in becoming young professionals and global leaders.

What do you enjoy about the program so far? The University of Virginia has an incredible academic reputation. Faculty members are strongly interested in leveraging students' backgrounds in order to foster inclusion and strengthen academic performances. This program offers students a top-notch academic experience as well as unique residential opportunities in three different countries. Moreover, McIntire has a unique business culture in which employers and students cooperate to mutually benefit each other.

Fun Facts about Me: 1. On the very first day of my internship at the Italian Consulate in Hong Kong, I locked myself out of my apartment barefoot and shirtless while I was trying to check my mailbox. I had to call the Chinese authorities to get access to my accommodation since nobody could understand me. 2. I had been eating sliced pig's ears for almost a month in Taiwan, presuming that it was sliced tofu, during my lunch break at work. Obviously, as soon as I found out the real nature of that typical dish, I immediately stopped ordering it. 3. I am working as research assistant at the Darden School of Business, and I am attending McIntire School of Commerce, both business schools at UVA.

Hobbies: I love watching documentaries about exotic travels in distant countries while I drink my Moroccan hibiscus tea. When I am not busy conducting research on social inequalities, I love engaging in local volunteering activities. I truly believe in the motto "Sharing is caring.”